Shaping New Zealand’s environment since 1972

What was it about the one-man landscape architecture practice, founded by Frank Boffa in 1972, that enabled it to grow into one of New Zealand’s leading environmental planning and design companies?

Ask anyone in the company this question and they would probably say, “integrated solutions” - meaning that the practice has always sought to understand each project’s inter-related social, ecological and statutory planning factors, whilst working with the client and stakeholders to explore sustainable opportunities.

Back in the 1970s, it was a new way of doing things that, though reflecting the emerging environmental consciousness of the times, required advocacy and marketing, as Frank recalls. “We were constantly breaking new ground in the early years, educating our clients about the benefits of informed environmental planning and design.”

The Resource Management 1991 brought a statutory framework that, as Frank explains, “endorsed the very things that we were advocating and endeavouring to practice. It was all about our bottomup approach - about understanding the way things worked so as to create something environmentally appropriate and enduring.”

Inevitably, this ‘big picture’ approach led to larger scale projects and the need to offer clients a more complete package of complementary professional services. In addition to landscape architects, the company gradually evolved into a niche multidisciplinary practice employing planners, ecologists, urban designers and cultural heritage advisors - supported by specialists in digital technology whose skills in GIS, visual simulations, database management and graphic design have greatly enhanced the accuracy, efficiency and presentation quality of project work.

Our clients

Our clients have, of course, been essential to Boffa Miskell’s success - constantly challenging us to keep thinking creatively, to foresee trends and to help find solutions that are not only ‘fit for purpose’ but innovative and lasting.

Boffa Miskell has grown and developed by anticipating and responding to these demands. In the days of the 1980s’ Think Big projects, for instance, the company had to rapidly develop its capability in large-scale design, tendering and project management.

In recent years, we have further diversified our professional services with specialised expertise, such as marine ecology. The digital age with its instant communication and information sharing has, of course, greatly aided our ability to offer comprehensive and cost-effective services throughout New Zealand and offshore. With our core disciplines represented in all New Zealand offices, a growing office in Shanghai and associations with allied consultants, the company has the experience and ability to lead multi-disciplinary project teams.

“Enduring client relationships are ever more important in today’s challenging and competitive economy,” says Boffa Miskell Chairman, John Goodwin. “In the coming years, collaborative working relationships with our clients, founded on personalised service, will be imperative to continued success.”